For the first time, the British government has updated its official maps to label “State of Palestine” across its online platforms, replacing the term “Occupied Palestinian Territories.” The move comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement of the UK’s formal recognition of Palestine, in what has been described as a historic shift in British foreign policy.
According to The Telegraph, the updates covered multiple Foreign Office webpages, including travel advice for Israel and Palestine, the list of diplomatic missions, and the regional map, which now explicitly displays the name “State of Palestine.”
On Sunday, Prime Minister Starmer declared his government’s recognition of Palestine at a press conference, stating: “In the face of escalating horrors in the Middle East, we are acting to preserve the possibility of peace and the two-state solution. We will not allow the light of that hope to be extinguished.”
He stressed that the UK has now joined more than 150 countries worldwide that have already recognized Palestine, while clarifying that the decision is not a reward for Hamas, which “will have no role in governance or security in any future Palestinian state.”
